Toothbrush with integral toothpaste dispenser and associated method

Abstract

A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush includes a handle, a brush head section, and a plunger assembly passed through a proximal opening of the handle and rotatably interfitted within a threaded axial bore. A body of toothpaste is attached to the plunger assembly wherein a leading portion of the toothpaste body is linearly ingressed into the brush head section when the plunger assembly is rotated along a first arcuate direction defined about a centrally oriented longitudinal axis of the threaded axial bore. In this manner, a trailing portion of the toothpaste body is retracted from the outlet and returned upstream along the brush head section when the plunger assembly is rotated along a second arcuate direction defined about the centrally oriented longitudinal axis. The first arcuate direction is opposite to the first arcuate direction so that the plunger assembly can be rotated in clockwise and counter directions respectively.

1. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush for preventing toothpaste residue from clogging said toothpaste dispensing toothpaste dispensing toothbrush, said toothpaste dispensing toothbrush comprising:
 a handle having opposed distal and proximal openings, said handle further having a threaded axial bore formed therein and being in fluid communication with said proximal and distal openings; 
 a brush head section removably attached to said distal opening of said handle, said brush head section having an outlet formed at a distal end thereof; 
 a plunger assembly passed through said proximal opening of said handle rotatably interfitted within said threaded axial bore; and 
 a body of toothpaste attached to said plunger assembly; 
 wherein a leading portion of said toothpaste body is linearly ingressed into said brush head section when said plunger assembly is rotated along a first arcuate direction defined about a centrally oriented longitudinal axis of said threaded axial bore; 
 wherein a trailing portion of said toothpaste body is retracted from said outlet and returned upstream along said brush head section when said plunger assembly is rotated along a second arcuate direction defined about said centrally oriented longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       2. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein said first arcuate direction is opposite to said first arcuate direction. 
     
     
       3. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein said brush head section comprises:
 a cavity in fluid communication with said threaded axial bore such that said toothpaste body is urged directly into said cavity when expelled from said distal opening of said handle; and 
 a suction valve intermediately situated between said outlet and said distal opening of said handle, said suction valve being urged to an open position when said leading portion of said toothpaste body is linearly displaced downstream and upstream of said brush head section, said suction valve automatically returning to a closed position after said leading portion of said toothpaste body is displaced downstream and upstream of said suction valve such that said leading portion of said toothpaste body is retracted upstream of said suction valve and thereby remains isolated from ambient air during non-operating conditions. 
 
     
     
       4. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 3 , wherein said brush head section is formed from deformably resilient material so that said suction valve is manually toggled between said open and closed positions when said cavity is manually squeezed and released respectively, said leading portion of said toothpaste body being displaced downstream and upstream of said suction valve when said cavity is squeezed and released respectively such that the toothpaste residue is ejected from said outlet thereby prohibited from being lodge at said outlet during non-operating conditions. 
     
     
       5. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 4 , wherein said plunger assembly comprises:
 an actuating dial situated exterior of said handle and rotatably abutted against an end cap; 
 a rectilinear tube statically affixed to said actuating dial and being situated inside said threaded axial bore, said tube being provided with diametrically opposed first and second linear slots formed along a longitudinal length thereof; and 
 a receiving cup seated inside said tube and being removably mated thereto, said receiving cup being rotatably displaced along said first and second slots as said tube is rotated along said first and second arcuate directions respectively, said receiving cup being mated with a proximal end of said toothpaste body while seated inside said tube. 
 
     
     
       6. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein said toothpaste body and said receiving cup are synchronously and rotatably reciprocated along a longitudinal length of said tube as said actuating dial and said tube are simultaneously rotated along said first and second arcuate directions, said tube remaining within said threaded axial bore and said handle as said receiving cup and said toothpaste body are reciprocated within said tube. 
     
     
       7. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 6 , wherein said receiving cup is provided with first and second diametrically opposed knobs radially protruding outwardly away from a perimeter wall of said receiving cup, said first and second knobs being passing through said first and second slots and being interfitted with a threaded inner wall of said threaded axial bore, said receiving cup being rotatably displaced along said slots while maintaining direct contact with said threaded inner wall of said threaded axial bore. 
     
     
       8. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein said end cap remains statically mated to said proximal end of said handle while said actuating dial and said tube are rotated about said central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       9. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 1 , further comprising: a user interface;
 an internal power source electrically coupled to said user interface; 
 an audio playback device electrically coupled to said user interface and said power source; and 
 a speaker electrically coupled to said audio playback device; 
 wherein said audio playback device causes said speaker to emit an audible signal upon receiving an instruction signal from said use interface. 
 
     
     
       10. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush for preventing toothpaste residue from clogging said toothpaste dispensing toothpaste dispensing toothbrush, said toothpaste dispensing toothbrush comprising:
 a handle having axially opposed distal and proximal openings, said handle further having a threaded axial bore formed therein and being in fluid communication with said proximal and distal openings; 
 a brush head section removably attached to said distal opening of said handle, said brush head section having an outlet funned at a distal end thereof; 
 a plunger assembly passed through said proximal opening of said handle and rotatably interfitted within said threaded axial bore, said plunger assembly remaining spaced upstream of said brush head section; and 
 a body of toothpaste attached to said plunger assembly, 
 wherein a leading portion of said toothpaste body is linearly ingressed into said brush head section when said plunger assembly is rotated along a first arcuate direction defined about a centrally oriented longitudinal axis of said threaded axial bore; 
 wherein a trailing portion of said toothpaste body is retracted from said outlet and returned upstream along said brush head section when said plunger assembly is rotated along a second arcuate direction defined about said centrally oriented longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       11. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 10 , wherein said first arcuate direction is opposite to said first arcuate direction. 
     
     
       12. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 10 , wherein said brush head section comprises:
 a cavity in fluid communication with said threaded axial bore such that said toothpaste body is urged directly into said cavity when expelled from said distal opening of said handle; and 
 a suction valve intermediately situated between said outlet and said distal opening of said handle, said suction valve being urged to an open position when said leading portion of said toothpaste body is linearly displaced downstream and upstream of said brush head section, said suction valve automatically returning to a closed position after said leading portion of said toothpaste body is displaced downstream and upstream of said suction valve such that said leading portion of said toothpaste body is retracted upstream of said suction valve and thereby remains isolated from ambient air during non-operating conditions. 
 
     
     
       13. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 12 , wherein said brush head section is formed from deformably resilient material so that said suction valve is manually toggled between said open and closed positions when said cavity is manually squeezed and released respectively, said leading portion of said toothpaste body being displaced downstream and upstream of said suction valve when said cavity is squeezed and released respectively such that the toothpaste residue is ejected from said outlet thereby prohibited from being lodge at said outlet during non-operating conditions. 
     
     
       14. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 13 , wherein said plunger assembly comprises:
 an actuating dial situated exterior of said handle and rotatably abutted against an end cap; 
 a rectilinear tube statically affixed to said actuating dial and being situated inside said threaded axial bore, said tube being provided with diametrically opposed first and second linear slots formed along a longitudinal length thereof; and 
 a receiving cup seated inside said tube and being removably mated thereto, said receiving cup being rotatably displaced along said first and second slots as said tube is rotated along said first and second arcuate directions respectively, said receiving cup being mated with a proximal end of said toothpaste body while seated inside said tube. 
 
     
     
       15. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 14 , wherein said toothpaste body and said receiving cup are synchronously and rotatably reciprocated along a longitudinal length of said tube as said actuating dial and said tube are simultaneously rotated along said first and second arcuate directions, said tube remaining within said threaded axial bore and said handle as said receiving cup and said toothpaste body are reciprocated within said tube. 
     
     
       16. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 15 , wherein said receiving cup is provided with first and second diametrically opposed knobs radially protruding outwardly away from a perimeter wall of said receiving cup, said first and second knobs being passing through said first and second slots and being interfitted with a threaded inner wall of said threaded axial bore, said receiving cup being rotatably displaced along said slots while maintaining direct contact with said threaded inner wall of said threaded axial bore. 
     
     
       17. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 14 , wherein said end cap remains statically mated to said proximal end of said handle while said actuating dial and said tube are rotated about said central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       18. The toothpaste dispensing toothbrush of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a user interface; 
 an internal power source electrically coupled to said user interface; 
 an audio playback device electrically coupled to said user interface and said power source; and 
 a speaker electrically coupled to said audio playback device; 
 wherein said audio playback device causes said speaker to emit an audible signal upon receiving an instruction signal from said user interface. 
 
     
     
       19. A method of utilizing a toothpaste dispensing toothbrush for preventing toothpaste residue from clogging said toothpaste dispensing toothpaste dispensing toothbrush, said method comprising the chronological steps of
 providing a handle having axially opposed distal and proximal openings, said handle further having a threaded axial bore formed therein and being in fluid communication with said proximal and distal openings; 
 providing and removably attaching a brush head section to said distal opening of said handle, said brush head section having an outlet formed at a distal end thereof; 
 providing and passing a plunger assembly through said proximal opening of said handle by rotatably interfitting said plunger assembly within said threaded axial bore; 
 providing and attaching a body of toothpaste to said plunger assembly; 
 maintaining said plunger assembly spaced upstream of said brush head section; 
 linearly ingressing a leading portion of said toothpaste body into said brush head section by rotating said plunger assembly along a first arcuate direction defined about a centrally oriented longitudinal axis of said threaded axial bore; 
 retracting a trailing portion of said toothpaste body from said outlet and thereby returning said trailing portion upstream along said brush head section by rotating said plunger assembly along a second arcuate direction defined about said centrally oriented longitudinal axis.